Friday, June 10, 2011

So E3 2011 is gone and now but a memory. There was a cavalcade of content from new games to booth babes. We'll be focusing on the former with this top ten. The following games were shown in some form at E3 2011. These are the ones that I'm most excited about.

10) Sonic Generations (PS3, 360, 3DS)

Classic and modern meld into one as you play as 16-bit Sonic and the current Sonic model. SEGA has confirmed that besides the Green Hill Zone, the zones of the 3DS version will be completely different than those of the HD pair. This seems like quite the title to double-dip to if Sonic Colors is any indication.

9) Rayman Origins (PS3, 360, Wii)

After having the spotlight stolen from him to the Raving Rabbids, the limbless character of Rayman returns in a brand-new game with gorgeous graphics. This 2D side-scroller is akin to something New Super Mario Bros. Wii where four players could participate and play together. Add all that to Michel Ancel, the creator of Rayman, having a hand in this title, and you, too, might be blown away.

8) Batman: Arkham City (PS3, 360)

While the bat's away, the villains will play. And that's exactly what they've been doing as Batman has been on break. Not anymore in Batman: Arkham City where heroes and villains such as the Clockmaster, Catwoman (who is a playable character with an entire set of new moves to dish out on opponents), and Two-Face, to name a few. Get ready to be the bat sometime this October.

7) Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita)

An all-new take on the Uncharted franchise is Golden Abyss, a sure-fire launch title for Sony's new Vita portable developed by Sony Bend. Use the front touch screen to point hero and grave robber Nathan Drake across ledges and bridges. Two thumb sticks makes playing a breeze. Look forward to this miniature blockbuster whenever the Vita launches.

6) Sly 4: Thieves in Time (PS3)

There was a tease for this game after players platinum'd all of the trilogy in The Sly Collection. While Sucker Punch just finished inFAMOUS 2, the studio behind The Sly Collection is developing the fourth adventure featuring Sly. Hopefully this one plays less like the third installment and more like one and two. All that was shown was a teaser trailer, but that was enough to get me excited with Sly's newest caper.

5) Resistance 3 (PS3)

The Chimera have all but taken over Earth, but the surviving humans aren't letting go without a fight. This is exactly what they're doing in Resistance 3. R3 brings Move controls with it to get pinpoint aiming and faster movement. There's even a $149.99 bundle including the game, Sharpshooter peripheral, PS Eye, and one Move controller. Not a bad deal at all.

4) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

Sony showed a playable demo during their press conference, and it made many a-jaw drop. The demo was set in a flooding cargo ship of some kind. The ship takes in more water as a locker falls on Drake. With a quick tap of the triangle button while he's underwater, Drake pushes the locker off of him as he swims to the surface to get some air. The gunplay is what you'd expect from the caliber of the series. This, here, is Sony's key franchise from E3.

3) Mario Kart 3DS (3DS)

Mario Kart is back and in handheld form. New tricks include going back to eight drivers per race, off-road capabilities, hang-gliding segments, and underwater portions of track. The game is lovely-looking with one track you're driving through falling cherry blossom leaves. There's also 60 FPS even in 3D mode. Add in online play, and you already have a winner in my book.

2) Super Mario (3DS)

Shooing away the planets and planetoids of Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario for the 3DS features flat 2D and 3D portions of the game. Familiar enemies abound such as Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and Piranha Plants to tackle. There's even a flagpole at the end of each level just like the original Super Mario Bros. Don't forget the Tanooki Suit, too!

1) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

This is my game of the show, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii. Most definitely because we saw so much. We saw Zelda for the first time, riding some kind of bird creature with Link until fate enters. Everything to this game is 1:1 swordplay from combat to puzzles and an overworld feeling like its own dungeon with its own challenges that test your brain. Not only that, but the visuals are so colorful and the animation so crisp. Without a doubt, Skyward Sword is one of the best titles from E3 2011.

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Just like E3 2011, my list has flown on by. What games at E3 took you by surprise or made you get hyped like no one's ever been hyped? Let me know in the comments section.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Here's an eye-opener. I wasn't expecting any more Wii exclusives, but it turns out I was wr... wro... wron... wrong. Participate in over fifty different activities in this open world mini-game compilation. Think Wii Sports Resort but instead of Wuhu it's a brand-new island. Stay tuned for more news on this intriguing island.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The 3DS and Wii U might have had most of the attention at this year's E3, but that didn't mean the DS was dead. Four more games are being published and/or developed by Nintendo or one of its many second parties. The result is what you see before you in the trailer-- an army of Kirbies looking to get back into one.

The fine folks at Nintendo have revealed a lot of new games and content this past E3. Their next blockbuster is only paper-thin, but that doesn't mean this new adventure won't have any depth. Take a look at this E3 2011 trailer and see for yourself.

Get ready to party once again with Mario and company in this technically eleventh installment of the Mario Party franchise. We had a taste of the series on Wii with Mario Party 8, and fans of the franchise were drooling at the announcement of another installment. Here it is, friends. Check out some new features with this premiere trailer.

Sure, there's no gameplay to be seen, but this trailer does show a sampling of the events available to play including badminton, swimming, and horse riding. Watch the wonderful visuals of this all-CG trailer to get in the mood to go for the gold.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

This E3 trailer shows off the City Escape (Sonic Adventure 2) level from Sonic Generations which is due out sometime this fall. As always we see Classic Sonic's 2D level then followed by Modern Sonic's 3D rendition. Strap on those speed shoes as these pair of hedgehogs are going to follow their rainbow very soon.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has had two previous trailers revealed already. This one can be seen as the coup de grace. It shows off some of the Wii MotionPlus functionality as well as the tremendous art style. Here's the E3 2011 trailer.

A nice soothing addition to 3DS, Animal Crossing returns to a Nintendo platform. This time around it's heading to Nintendo's newest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. Not much to get from this trailer besides the inclusion of swimming. Again, no release date has been given.

Kirby had a prominent showing at E3 with two-- count 'em-- two brand- new offerings, one for the DS and one for the Wii. The Wii version supports in and out cooperative play between up to four players. Besides, who can't stand the cuteness of Kirby?

Today at Nintendo's press conference, the premiere trailer for Super Mario for the 3DS was revealed. It has mostly 2D action on a 3D plain. Check out the trailer and some screens and notice how a certain enemy from Super Mario Bros. 3 makes his return.

Jumpin' Josephat! Mario Kart takes it to the skies as well as underwater in this highly-anticipated installment of Mario Kart. Notice some returning tracks like Maple Treeway and Luigi's Mansion in the trailer below. Again, no solid release date has been given, so here's hoping it's sometime this holiday season!

It's been almost an entire decade since Luigi had his own adventure, and this time he's returning to mansions across the world for some good Ghostbusters action. No release date was given, but I'm sure that this footage will whet your ghastly appetite.

Play, create, and share with millions of levels able to played from the PlayStation 3's version. It still possesses that creative charm and lush visuals. Look forward to getting your hands on this (and the VITA itself) sometime during or after the launch lineup.

Monday, June 6, 2011

It's but a couple of weeks ahead, but 3DS owners are drooling at the mouth since the recent drought of money-worthy titles. This should open the floodgates, so to speak. This advertisement is purely CG, but it does enough to get you hyped for the game. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS hits store shelves June 19th.

This footage is quite reminiscent of New Super Mario Bros. Wii as it has cooperative play for up to four players. Watch two folks who worked on the game play through several levels with cheers and applause thrown in there for good measure. Enjoy.

It's an exciting week for gamers as new announcements and fresh games are being announced in Los Angeles, California for E3 2011. Why not take a break from ogling new screens and trailers and sit down and relax to some wonderful tunes from SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs?

Viewtiful Joe released for the Nintendo Gamecube as part of the Capcom Five, a set of exclusives for Nintendo's lunch box-shaped console. The Viewtiful Escape is the fourth level in the game, and it takes place aboard a sub. The boss of the level is a doppelganger of Viewtiful Joe. After this the sub capsizes, causing Joe to make his viewtiful escape by making careful jumps up to the surface.

Mega Man 2 stands as one of franchise-lovers' favorites. I personally preferred Mega Man 3 for its length and level design. That doesn't stop Mega Man 2 from being a classic, however. Woodman's stage takes place in a heavily-wooded forest with giant cat robots, bats, and hopping robotic rabbits. The music of these NES masterpieces is infectious and tremendous as Woodman's Stage shows.

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, to this day, remains unique from any other game in the series. It seems for Nintendo Kirby is always the guinea pig for new gameplay styles. With Kirby Canvas Curse, we drew lines to guide Kirby through maze-like levels. With Tilt 'n Tumble, we titled the Game Boy Color to move Kirby around the game world. With Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, a Metroid-styled game was introduced. The game had eight or nine unique areas just begging to be fully-explored. It was an interesting experiment and full of wily wonder.

The Super Mario Land series was an oddity among the Mario universe. Where else did you face Tatanga, three not-so-little pigs, and other odd enemies? The game structure was quite different from anything seen before in a Mario game. You chose which of the six zones to head to in order to play through levels, reach the boss, and collect one of six golden coins to unlock the entrance to Mario's castle. The castle was taken over by Wario who made his premiere appearance in this game. The boss theme is a quick and hectic tune as exemplified by the fastness of the tune.

The hardcore gamer is an interesting character. If I wanted to generalize all of them, I would call them insecure manchildren who get angry whenever anyone else decides to partake in their hobby. I won't do that, however. Wii Fit was one of Nintendo's evergreen titles which originally sold for ninety dollars. With this price tag, you got the game itself and a peripheral known as the Wii Balance Board. In minutes you could be sweating it out to the fun mini-games included in Wii Fit. Fun for all even if there's some sad manchildren angry at Nintendo for "abandoning them".

That does it for this week's VGMs. Stay tuned for next week where it's all Game Boy Advance classics! Have a fun E3 week, everybody!